The story is told along the rocky shores of New England about a community of fisher folk who lived near a point of land from which a hidden reef jutted far out into the ocean.  The local people knew how to avoid the dangerous rocks beneath the foam of the waves, but boats from other places were often caught off guard; their hulls would be cracked and broken on the reef.  Shipwrecks happened so often that the local people got together and built a little rescue house near the shore, and when the alarm would sound, people would come and drag rescue boats and ropes and life preservers out to the wrecked ships and bring back as many of the crew as they could.  Soon, they became known as the bravest and most successful rescuers on the coast; their fame had begun to spread far and wide.  They took pictures of themselves with the crews they had saved, and mounted the pictures and pieces of broken ships on the walls of their rescue house.  They made the rescue house bigger and a bar was added, and some chairs and a juke box.

Not long after, they moved most of the rescue equipment outside, and began to meet inside at night to remember the many feats of heroism they had performed.  Every evening there was music and laughter and people slapping each other on the back; so much so that one night, they were barely able to hear the alarm signaling another ship had fallen prey to the hidden rocks of the reef.  The ship floundered, and its crew cried for help, but no one left the light and warmth of that little rescue house, and soon the noise of the gathering drowned out the noise of the alarm and the pleas for help.  The entire crew perished.  I understand that the rescue house is now a very nice restaurant of the same name, and its fame is known up and down the coast as a place where one can get a fine meal.  I also understand that about a half mile down the beach, another little rescue house has since been built, where a few more people from the village are still willing to answer the call for help when it sounds.

I am sure you understand this parable is really a story about churches and their mission and purpose.  It applies to every church and especially our own.

There is much happening in our community today which “feels” like an alarm is being sounded.  The prevalence of poor and hungry people, sick persons, drugs, alcohol, violence in the home, gang-related violence, teenage dropouts and pregnancies, and the changing family structures is in need of immediate response from community agencies, schools, and churches.  Are we willing to be a part of that response?  Or will we simply make a little more noise inside the safety of our gatherings that helps drown out the pleas for help that go up all around us?  In obedience to our Lord’s command to love one another as he has loved us, we must be prepared to hear those pleas and to respond.

Thanks be to God that our church has made great strides in responding to those cries for help.  It begins the moment you enter our sanctuary.  You look at our tables and see appeals, pictures, programs – all devoted to answering the call for help.  If you venture into our breezeway you will see other evidence of our response: tubs set aside for clothing, food, eyeglasses, even soup labels and soda can pop tops.

And then on any given week day – you may venture down the fellowship hallway and see the remnants of a children’s bowling game or perhaps a stray piece of clothing or a line of recently painted artwork.  Upon closer inspection you may note the artwork is emblazoned with the prints of little hands.  And if you pay attention you will note that our outreach is not limited to Rockdale and Newton Counties.  Our combined benevolence gifts to the Synod and ELCA make a real difference in our nation and our world.

Each and every month we distribute far and wide our monthly newsletter, Epiphany’s Epistle.  A couple months ago I ran into one of my colleagues from another denomination in a local restaurant.  He asked me a question about the Epistle or should I say a question about the size of our parish.  “Well we worship on

average about 260 over the course of a year.  Our membership totals around 650 but if you count the folks who attend, contribute, but don’t join our church, it would be close to 700 I think”.  “You’re kidding?”  “No”.  “With that few people how do you do all you do in that newsletter we receive?”

I cannot think of a greater compliment nor a greater challenge.

The members of our church understand that membership does not equal discipleship.  We are members of Rotary, Kiwanis, Gold’s gym, LA Fitness et al….but we are first and foremost disciples of Christ.  And how we flesh that discipleship out is up to our people.  Each gifted in order to share those same gifts.

Looking back on our last year we have seen tremendous growth in our mission and ministry here.  I am encouraged and often sustained by the faithfulness of so many in our parish.  There is much to be excited about in being a part of this church.  In part I believe that it is because of the caring and capable staff we have here at Epiphany.  Please take time to let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.  Pastor Nathan has finished his first year with us and continues to grow in his leadership and pastoral care.  I am indebted to Pastor Nathan for his profound faith and the new vision that he has brought to our ministry: from youth and young adult ministry to mission trips and outreach to homeless families.  Our office staff, Barb Drasher and Kim Johnson continue to amaze me with their gifts of organization, pastoral care and the professionalism they bring to our ministry.  They are truly blessings as they keep the congregation (and the pastors) informed and aware of the events and the needs of our ministry.  

 Our music area has been blessed with the gifts of Robert Bolyard and Cory and Jessica Westby.   Not only do their prodigious musical gifts consistently shine through – their humor and affability make this area of our corporate life together meaningful and fun.

I am also indebted to Jenny Lyons and Karen Schroeder and all their workers and volunteers for their vision and leadership in establishing and maintaining our Pre-school and Parent’s Morning Out programs.  What joy we have through their hard work.  How can you quantify the gift of beginning your day with little ones who simply smile and reach out their little arms to be picked up?

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the tremendous leadership we have received from former Council president Doug Longbottom, as well as all our council members and leaders in ministry.  I also want to acknowledge the hard work of people like Ed Stegherr, Bruce Ahlstrand, Mona Longbottom, Joanne Astalos, and Marie Danford, and their co-workers, too many to name, who work tirelessly in areas that we so often take for granted: Church Property, Sunday School, Stephen Ministry, and Fellowship. 

Lastly, and most of all I must thank all of you for the answer that I give in response to the question:  “How do you do all you do in that newsletter we receive?”  “I don’t do it – our members do.”  I am so proud of this place and our people.  And I am keenly aware of the ever-increasing needs in our community.  How do we continue to respond to the pleas for help while at the same time feed and nurture our own needs?  I do not know the answer but along with you I know where to find it: Jesus Christ.

Shalom,

Pastor John

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Many of us remember those opening lines of Charles Dickens novel of the French Revolution. Though our situation is quite different, these words are an apt description for 2009, I think.

Challenges in our personal lives, in this congregation, in our denomination, in the whole Church catholic, and in the world at large sometimes seem like a cause for despair. Yet, God in His infinite mercy, continues to pour out grace in our lives. In the midst of trying times, the Lord gives us occasions for joy. And we have it on the word of scripture that God will somehow bring good from the setbacks we suffer.

So—what did 2009 bring for us?

Occasions for Pastoral Care. It’s worth noting here that as I develop relationships with more and more of you here, I have more opportunities for providing pastoral care, preaching and teaching. I am grateful for the privilege of walking with you through the joys & sorrows of life in hospital rooms, prisons, dinner tables, classrooms, cemeteries, in my office, at the baptismal font or at the altar. I am glad that God has brought me here to be one of your pastors, and am thankful for your gracious support of that ministry. I look forward to continuing that ministry in 2010!

Opportunities for worship. Sunday morning continues to be the center of our life together, as we are drawn together to hear the Word and to celebrate the sacraments. We also have strong attendance at our Advent and Lenten Wednesday evening services. In addition to that, we have other opportunities for worship during the week: weekly chapel for our preschoolers, our Friday morning prayer service, our “First Wednesday services.” Under the excellent leadership of Robert Bolyard, Cory Westby and Jessica Westby, Epiphany musicians have enriched our worship services with their many gifts.

Looking ahead, Pastor John, myself, and our other worship leaders are excited about providing a supplemental worship service one evening per week. This would be beneficial in obvious ways—more time together to pray, hear God’s Word and share the sacraments together. But it would also give us valuable time to connect with each other and grow in our relationships.

Spiritual growth for our youth and their families. Our many youth groups for kids of all ages, along with their families, continue to go strong, thanks to the faithful leadership of adult volunteers. If your children are not yet a part of these groups, please consider joining one!

Our confirmation program is going particularly strong—we’ve expanded to a three-year program, so that 6th, 7th and 8th graders have an opportunity to learn about our Christian faith in a concentrated fashion. Part of confirmation is the Lenten Mentor Program, which pairs each youth with a mature Christian adult in our congregation with whom they pray and discuss a booklet on Christian spirituality.

Our high school group remains active and excited about service. Our summer service trip was a great success, and our youth remain excited about service in this community.

Looking ahead, I will be focused on encouraging more contact time with our high school youth, especially. We will be meeting more regularly, involving parents and family members in this ministry, and doing both more Bible study and purely fun events.

Opportunities for Service. Our social ministry committee does a fine job of involving you all in serving the poor through our “giving trees” at Christmas and Easter, and through other opportunities for Christian mercy like serving meals at Nicholas House or through meals on wheels. Your outpouring of prayer and resources for people in Haiti and other disaster-stricken areas, through Lutheran World Relief, demonstrates your willingness to serve.

Looking ahead, our involvement in Family Promise of NewRock will give us a chance to offer hospitality to homeless families for one week, once a quarter. A group of six from Epiphany is planning to travel to Haiti to serve our brothers & sisters there. Our youth will once again be embarking on a summer service trip. There will no doubt be many other opportunities to serve Jesus by serving “the least of these” (Matt. 25).

Opportunities to learn. Our dedicated Sunday school superintendent, and our many teachers, provide people of all ages a chance to study the Bible and grow in their faith each Sunday morning. We’ve also had the chance to learn and grow during Vacation Bible school, where kids and adults alike studied God’s Word. During Lent, we studied the Lord’s Prayer.

Looking ahead, it is my hope that when we add another weekly evening opportunity for worship, we will also be able to add an educational component for study, whether that be an introduction to Christianity class, an extended Bible study, or a one-book Bible study.

Opportunities to serve in our congregation, our Synod, and beyond. Whether on the yard crew, the fellowship committee, in our pre-school, or on congregational council, there are so many who serve diligently every day. I remain connected to our synod through collegial relationships with other pastors and our bishop’s staff, first call pastoral retreats, and through service in our many synodical youth ministries like AFFIRM and Project Connect.

Looking ahead, how will you steward your time by serving the body of Christ here at Epiphany and beyond?

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Nathan Hilkert